After Chesteron was dealt with, the doctor Lady Rafaelde had summoned arrived. He examined Smelian thoroughly, then pressed a peeled, warm egg against his skin for quite some time, stopping only when the handprint was no longer as obvious.

Lu Xia remained quietly by Smelian’s side the entire time. Witnessing this, Lady Rafaelde felt both pleased and apprehensive.

She was pleased because Duke Lu Xia clearly valued Smelian, but she was apprehensive for that very same reason. If mishandled, this could bring harm to the Rafaelde family. At that moment, she understood that she could no longer treat Smelian as she had in the past.

"How is he? Does he need to go to the hospital for a thorough examination?" Lady Rafaelde asked, feigning concern. It was the first time the family doctor had ever seen her show such care for Smelian, and he couldn’t help but glance at her. "There’s no need. It’s just a superficial injury; his throat wasn’t harmed. Applying the compress will be enough."

"That’s good. Smelian, if you feel any discomfort at all, you must speak up." Lady Rafaelde’s concern was a complete reversal of her usual indifference toward him, as if he had always been the male she cared for most.

Smelian was well aware of the reason for Lady Rafaelde’s change in attitude, so his expression remained unchanged. He simply looked at Lu Xia and said, "I’m fine now. You don’t have to worry."

Lu Xia saw that the handprint on his neck had faded considerably, so she knew he wasn’t just enduring it to put everyone at ease. She nodded. "Alright. It’s getting late, so we won’t impose any longer."

"Leaving so soon? Won’t you stay a little longer?" Lady Rafaelde sounded disappointed. She had originally hoped to invite Duke Lu Xia to stay for dinner, but after the scene Chesteron caused, it was clear the Duke had lost all patience.

As she escorted Lu Xia and Smelian out of the manor, Lady Rafaelde said apologetically, "I am truly sorry. For you to come all this way and be met with such a scene... It is a failing of the Rafaelde Family’s upbringing. We’ve made ourselves a laughingstock."

"The person you should be apologizing to is not me, but Smelian. If he doesn’t mind, then I have nothing more to say. It’s late; you don’t need to see us out, my lady." Lu Xia helped Smelian into the car. "I will have my representative contact you later. Private matters are private, and business is business. You have no need to worry."

"Yes, yes. I will arrange everything for the Duke." Seeing that Lu Xia was indeed still willing to cooperate with the Rafaelde Family, Lady Rafaelde could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

On the way back, Lu Xia looked over at the quiet Smelian. "Did this sort of thing happen often when you lived at home?"

He understood she was asking about Chesteron’s treatment of him back at the Rafaelde estate.

"Occasionally, when he was in a bad mood, he’d lash out at me verbally. But getting physical like today... that actually didn’t happen often." This was the truth. After all, he wasn’t foolish enough to just stand there and let Chesteron beat him.

But Lu Xia could read between the lines. ’Not often’ still meant it happened. ’That makes sense,’ she thought. ’If Chesteron wasn’t used to behaving like that, he wouldn’t have been so utterly brazen about it.’

Recalling the sight of Smelian being choked, his face etched with endurance as he didn’t dare to resist, Lu Xia couldn’t help but say, "If anything like this happens again, just fight back. Whatever the consequences, I’ll be there to handle them for you. Don’t be afraid. When someone bullies you, you have to strike back. Otherwise, they’ll think you’re an easy target."

’No one has ever said anything like this to me before. No one ever would. I’m just a "defective" piece of trash. Those people don’t care if I live or die, so why would they ever say something like this to me?’

’Only Lu Xia would tell me these things, worry about me, care for my well-being, and teach me how to handle such situations. How could my heart not flutter for a Female Master like her?’

’In the past, I was filled with envy just watching Lu Xia defend Graces. Now, that same protection has fallen upon me...’ His heart filled with a syrupy sweetness.

The slight injury Chesteron had inflicted was long since healed by Lu Xia’s protectiveness. He even had a fleeting thought: ’If Chesteron had hurt me more, would the sweetness I’m feeling now be even greater?’

He didn’t dare let such a dark thought show in front of Lu Xia, but the sweet, pleasant mood still made the corners of his lips curve upward. "I understand. Thank you."

"Don’t thank me. Just remember it. And don’t let anyone bully you again." Lu Xia thought Smelian was much more delicate than Graces.

After all, if Graces were in the same situation, he would never have let himself get injured. With his combat prowess, most people wouldn’t stand a chance against him anyway.

She even found herself wondering, ’Should I have Graces teach Smelian some self-defense?’

When they arrived home, the old butler was surprised to see Lu Xia and Smelian back so early. ’Looks like dinner won’t be served as a late-night supper after all,’ he thought. "Did your trip go well today, my lady?"

"There was a small incident, but it’s nothing to worry about. Has the shipment arrived?"

"It has, my lady. I’ve already had it inspected and moved to storage. There were no problems."

"That’s good. Is Little Pu Tao awake?" It was almost time for the little one’s feeding.

"Graces just took him into the garden."

Lu Xia raised an eyebrow. "He’s back this early?"

"Yes, my lady. Graces prepared dinner as well. Would you like to eat now?"

"Not yet. I’m going to take a shower and change first." After instructing the old butler, Lu Xia went to her room.

When Graces came back inside with Little Pu Tao in his arms, he saw Smelian. "You’re back?"

Smelian nodded, his gaze softening as he looked at Little Pu Tao nestled obediently in Graces’s arms. He reached out and gently ruffled the little one’s hair. "The Duke is back in her room."

Graces nodded, carried Little Pu Tao upstairs, and handed the baby to the Breeding Master. When he returned to their room, he saw Lu Xia looking at him with a wide smile. "Graces, I have some wonderful news."

Although he didn’t know what it was yet, the smile on Lu Xia’s face was infectious, and Graces found himself smiling too. "What’s the good news?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"The gene fusion agent is a success! The probability for a single dose has increased from 25% to 50%!" In other words, the chance of a successful gene fusion had effectively doubled.

The strange thing was, hearing this news didn’t surprise Graces at all. It was as if it was only natural. ’Anything is possible when it comes to Lu Xia,’ he thought. ’She’s the kind of person who’s blessed by fortune itself.’

"This agent can be used on adult males, which means there’s no age limit. Graces, you have the chance to achieve 100% fusion and become a perfect Beastman. Are you happy?"

Graces gazed tenderly at Lu Xia’s joyful face. ’How could I not be happy?’ he thought. ’I’m ecstatic.’

He pulled her into his arms. "Yes. I’m very happy."