Faced with Smelian’s taunts, Cecil was powerless to retort. He wasn’t afraid of Duke Lu Xia ending their spousal relationship; what he couldn’t defy were the oppressive constraints of Lady Daina and the authority of the Imperial Family.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t resisted, but his resistance had been fruitless. He had assumed that after ignoring him for so long, Duke Lu Xia would have long forgotten him. And while she hadn’t come looking for him, his mother, unfortunately, remembered the matter all too well, giving him absolutely no chance of escape.

The freedom he had enjoyed these past days now felt as if it had all been stolen.

Standing here now, forced back to reality, made him exceptionally irritable.

Smelian, of course, knew what his situation was. Even with their different family backgrounds, the shackles they both bore were the same.

In contrast to the discordant conversation between Smelian and Cecil, the atmosphere among the others chatting in the lounge was quite harmonious.

Lady Daina had not only brought Cecil over, but she had also brought a gift for the chubby little one: a complete set of gold ornaments. He was likely the only male in the entire Empire to receive so many gifts and blessings at birth.

Even within the Imperial Family, the birth of a male wasn’t met with such fanfare. They wouldn’t even issue a special announcement to inform the public of a new addition to their family.

But since Duke Lu Xia placed so much importance on this male, no one else dared to overlook him.

The chubby little one was also incredibly well-behaved. He didn’t cry no matter who held him, simply blinking his big eyes as he looked at people, as if he could understand what they were saying.

Lady Daina was completely charmed. She couldn’t resist pulling the chubby little one into her arms to coo at him. Her own family had no shortage of descendants, and some of her male and female children had children of their own, but none were this endearing. When her other grandchildren saw her, they either cried or shrank away in fear, which she found quite vexing.

This little one didn’t cry or fuss in her arms, giggling whenever she played with him. So adorable, sweet-smelling, and soft. ’If they were all this cute and obedient,’ she thought, ’then what would it matter if he was a male?’

She couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation, wondering if Cecil could have such an opportunity.

This was part of the reason she had brought Cecil here directly. She had, of course, heard all the recent good news from Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion—from Graces becoming a Gene Fusion Expert to siring a male with a supposedly ’defective’ husband. These were all things no one would have dared to imagine.

If a person’s good fortune is a coincidence once, what about twice, or even three times?

Even someone like Lady Daina, who didn’t normally believe in fate, couldn’t help but start to believe after hearing one piece of incredible news after another from Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion.

Besides, they still had this opportunity.

That was why she had brought Cecil over without giving Duke Lu Xia any prior notice. She was confident that someone as intelligent as the Duke would understand her intentions.

Having achieved her goal, Lady Daina did not stay long. As the others watched her depart, Prince Li Mang suddenly took Lu Xia’s hand. "Come take a walk with me. Let’s talk."

Lu Xia understood that Prince Li Mang likely wanted to speak with her alone. She smiled and nodded. "Let’s go to the terrace and get something to eat."

Prince Li Mang followed her to the terrace, glanced at the view, and asked, "Xiaxia, have you given any thought to choosing a main husband?"

Lu Xia was taken aback by the sudden question. "I haven’t thought that far ahead."

’In truth, she didn’t care about titles like main husband or secondary husband. I’ll treat everyone in my household fairly, regardless of their status,’ she thought.

"I know you don’t look down on anyone because of their status, but just because you don’t care doesn’t mean outsiders feel the same. Duke Leslie, Lady Rafaelde, even Lady Daina... they all have tangled ties to you now. And I hear you have other husbands as well—what are their statuses? In the past, they were all considered ’defective’ males with no chance of attaining a higher position by your side. But now Graces is a Gene Fusion Expert, with a high fusion rate, I hear. He has the backing of the Leslie Duke Mansion, and I can see your relationship with him is good. Now that you even have a child together, if you don’t want to look for an outsider to be your main husband, he is currently the most suitable candidate."

Prince Li Mang paused for a moment before continuing. "I’m not saying this as a mouthpiece for the Leslie Duke Mansion. It’s just that as your household grows, all sorts of issues will crop up. If you don’t want to manage everything yourself, having a main husband can save you a lot of trouble. And the sooner you establish one, the less room others will have to talk."

Lu Xia understood the meaning behind his words. Prince Li Mang’s reminder was entirely well-intentioned.

This, perhaps, was the wisdom of experience.

Her household now included Graces, Smelian, and Cecil, with two more waiting to join.

’As they all live together under one roof, what if I develop feelings for them over time? If none of them have a poor family background, how am I supposed to choose? What’s more, as my reputation grows, even more people will be eyeing the positions of my main and secondary husbands. Am I supposed to just keep adding people to my family? I absolutely don’t want that!’

This was truly something she hadn’t considered, and it was true that the positions of her main and secondary husbands couldn’t remain empty forever.

"Thank you. I understand now," Lu Xia said. "Graces is indeed qualified to be my main husband."

Seeing that she had taken his words to heart, Prince Li Mang smiled. "You’re a smart woman."

It was precisely for this reason that Prince Li Mang had bothered to say all this—because he knew a smart woman like her would understand his meaning.

The full moon banquet was a great success. As the guests departed, they each received a parting gift from Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion: a complete set of beauty cream and hair growth liquid.

It’s safe to say that the guests who attended the full moon banquet all left laden with gifts.

After seeing off the last of the guests, the once-lively banquet hall fell quiet again, and attendants emerged to clean up.

Lu Xia turned to the old butler and said, "Prepare a room for Cecil."

She then turned to the young man standing off to the side, his eyes downcast and unwilling to meet her gaze. "Cecil, if you need anything, just tell the butler. I won’t restrict your freedom or your ability to come and go. You can just treat this place as a home base. I won’t say anything to your mother, either. We can just leave each other in peace."

She could clearly see Cecil’s attitude, which was precisely why she felt the need to spell things out.

Cecil hadn’t expected her to be so straightforward—so much so that it seemed almost unrealistic. His impatient expression flickered, becoming unnatural for a brief moment.

But before he could respond, Lu Xia had already headed upstairs with Graces, who was carrying the chubby little one.

Now, only he and Smelian were left standing in the hall.

He instinctively glanced at Smelian, seeking confirmation that what he’d just heard wasn’t a figment of his imagination. But Smelian simply let out a soft chuckle, turned, and walked away, leaving Cecil with nothing but the cold sight of his departing back.

Cecil raised an eyebrow. ’Is this Duke Lu Xia’s way of winning people over?’ he couldn’t help but wonder.

He had to admit it was unexpected. ’But I absolutely will not fall for it.’

’Didn’t she say she wouldn’t restrict my freedom?’

With that thought, Cecil turned and walked out. He was going to see for himself if she was telling the truth.