’But isn’t this, in its own way, a kind of ploy?’

Smelian had been at Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion for a long time. He had always been an observer, watching how Graces and Duke Lu Xia interacted. It would be impossible to say he hadn’t noticed or learned anything from it all.

He had long since seen through her. Lu Xia was the type who responded to softness, not force—a person who felt sympathy for the weak and was easily moved to compassion.

That was why he pleaded so humbly and analyzed himself so earnestly. It was all just to make Lu Xia’s heart soften and get her to spare a little attention for him.

And as it turned out, his gambit was effective.

’I don’t think there’s anything shameful about this,’ he thought. ’Males are born with a flawed nature, inherently greedy. It would be one thing if an opportunity never arose, but now that one has, how could I not fight for it?’

Besides, Lu Xia was such a wonderful female. No one could refuse the chance to stay by her side.

’So what if I can’t compare to Graces?’ he thought, a despicable part of him relishing the idea. ’At least the others haven’t yet realized how wonderful Lu Xia is.’

’So what if Cecil is a member of the Imperial Family? He still passed up the chance to stay by Duke Lu Xia’s side. I even hope he never discovers what he missed.’

And yet, another despicable part of him wanted to see the look of regret and dejection on his face.

Lu Xia looked at Smelian, whose eyes were faintly red-rimmed, and sighed softly. "I will consider your request, Smelian. I will pay more attention to you in the future."

’But as for showing him true favor,’ she thought, ’I still need time.’

"Okay. Even just this is wonderful. Thank you, Xiaxia." Smelian knew perfectly well it was impossible for Lu Xia to agree to everything at once.

’If Lu Xia were truly as the rumors claimed,’ he thought, ’she would have probably dragged me to her bed the very first day I arrived. Why else would I have had to wait until now?’

Now, Lu Xia had promised that she would pay more attention to him and no longer ignore his existence. For him, this was already significant progress.

He was ecstatic.

"Then why aren’t you getting up?" Lu Xia raised an eyebrow, looking at Smelian, who was still kneeling before her.

Smelian hesitated, but in the end, he couldn’t suppress his inner greed and made a request. "Could you... hug me?"

The request wasn’t difficult for Lu Xia to accept. She just hadn’t expected Smelian to be so timid, even when just asking for a hug. ’It’s kind of cute,’ she thought.

"Of course."

As the word left her lips, she took the initiative and hugged Smelian.

The moment she embraced him, Smelian’s senses were completely filled with her unique scent—a scent he found himself craving.

He carefully wrapped his arms around Lu Xia, holding her as if she were the rarest treasure in the world.

’I crave so much more,’ he thought, ’but I know I’ve already gained a lot tonight. I can’t get any greedier.’

"Xiaxia, thank you," Smelian said, taking the initiative to let go. "I will treasure everything that happened tonight."

Lu Xia smiled. "I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you for dinner."

The moment of happiness was brief. If he could, Smelian would have wished for it to last forever. At the same time, however, he looked forward to Lu Xia’s changing attitude toward him in the days to come.

He believed that after this one-on-one date, Lu Xia’s treatment of him was bound to change.

When they came out of the restaurant, a light rain had started to fall.

The soft pitter-patter added a certain charm to the tranquil night.

"I’ll go get an umbrella. Please wait for me here."

"There’s no need. It’s not far, I’ll just go with you." Lu Xia wasn’t one for dramatics. Besides, the parking lot wasn’t that far, and the rain wasn’t heavy. It would be fine to just walk over; there was no reason to make Smelian run back and forth.

Smelian hesitated, however, then took off his jacket and held it over Lu Xia’s head. "You should still cover up. It’s cool at night. I don’t want you to catch a cold."

Seeing how considerate he was, Lu Xia didn’t refuse. She took the jacket and draped it over her head. "Alright, let’s go."

With that, she took the initiative to link arms with Smelian, and they walked toward the parking lot together. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The walk wasn’t very far, but Smelian enjoyed it immensely, as if at this moment, only he and Lu Xia were left in the world.

He suddenly felt that this moment was a reward in itself.

Arriving at the parking lot, Smelian opened the car door and helped Lu Xia in before taking his jacket back and sitting down beside her with a smile.

When the car door closed, the sound of the rain vanished. The car’s cabin was quiet. Smelian took the initiative to break the silence. "Are you tired?"

Lu Xia shook her head. "I’m not tired. Tonight was very pleasant. Thank you, Smelian. I haven’t been this relaxed in a long time."

After she spoke, Lu Xia leaned closer to Smelian, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she smiled at him.

Her sudden movement made Smelian tense for a moment. Unsure what she planned to do by getting so close, he subconsciously held his breath.

The temperature inside the car seemed to begin rising.

It was raining outside, but not a single sound penetrated the car.

The atmosphere in the car grew charged. Smelian couldn’t help but ask, "Is... is something wrong?"

’Smelian is so docile right now,’ Lu Xia thought. He was completely different from Graces. ’Even when Graces is being humble, he’s still filled with a wild, unrestrained arrogance. I don’t soften because of his begging; I just hate seeing someone as powerful as him have to act so subservient. It makes my heart ache for him.’

’Smelian’s humility, on the other hand, is gentle and harmless. It’s like a small animal begging for scraps—it’s easy to feel your heart soften for him.’

Lu Xia didn’t answer his question. Instead, a smile played on her lips as she reached out, cupped his chin, and, to the man’s complete shock and confusion, pecked him on the cheek. She then pulled back with a grin. "A reward."

Smelian’s breath hitched. He subconsciously grabbed Lu Xia’s retreating wrist, as if trying to hold her back.

Lu Xia didn’t pull her hand away and continued to look at him with a smile.

It was as if she were waiting for his response.

When Smelian spoke, his voice was a little hoarse. "Then shouldn’t I also express my gratitude?"

’He’s clearly a quick study,’ Lu Xia mused. ’Not only is he smart enough to read between the lines, but he also knows how to show his gratitude.’

Her interest seemed to be piqued. Lu Xia asked him, "Then how do you want to thank me?"

Once he was certain Lu Xia didn’t dislike his boldness, Smelian leaned in and gently placed a kiss on her cheek. "A gift in return."

Lu Xia was amused by his cautious gesture. She reached out and gently caressed Smelian’s face, saying with a laugh, "I thought you would be a little greedier."

’But he’s as innocent as a baby.’

"Smelian, I’m discovering that you’re actually quite cute. It’s very endearing. Please, stay this way."

Lu Xia didn’t hold back in expressing her thoughts. For Smelian, this was the best reward of all.

He smiled and nodded. "To be able to make you happy is my honor. I will do my best not to disappoint you."