Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Visitor
Lu Xia was a little surprised by Smelian’s words. It wasn’t the request for her to visit Lady Rafaelde that was unexpected, but Smelian’s attitude about it.
Graces, however, looked perfectly normal, as if he wasn’t surprised at all.
As a male who had also once been considered ’defective,’ he could understand Smelian’s line of thinking.
"Why?" Lu Xia set down her utensils and looked at Smelian intently, as if she wanted to hear his reasoning.
In truth, she could guess most of the answer, but she hadn’t expected Smelian to be willing to state it so frankly.
"Because I am your husband now, and my connection to the Rafaelde family is secondary. My mother wishes to leverage your prestige, but she should have been the one to ask you herself. I don’t want to make unreasonable demands of you because of this. You have no obligation to do anything for me or the Rafaelde family."
To put it bluntly, Lu Xia owed them nothing.
"But it’s not an unreasonable request. As a matter of courtesy, I should pay a visit to the Rafaelde family anyway. It was the same with Graces. I’ll arrange a time, and I’ll go with you. The next time Lady Rafaelde writes, you can tell her that."
Smelian hadn’t expected that even after what he’d said, Lu Xia was still willing to go with him. He didn’t quite understand.
"Why?" This time, it was his turn to ask.
Lu Xia smiled. "Like you said, you’re mine now. Visiting your family is a sign of respect for the Rafaelde family. Besides, I’ve heard your family owns shipping routes that connect to various star systems. Is that true?"
"Yes. The Rafaelde family built its fortune on shipping. Do you have a need for such services?"
"Not right now, but I can’t guarantee I won’t in the future. In any case, being on good terms with the Rafaelde family is a win-win situation for me. But Smelian, you don’t need to think about all that. Just focus on being yourself. The dealings between the Duke Mansion and the Rafaelde family won’t affect our relationship."
’I don’t need to use Smelian as a bargaining chip to get something in return.’
Smelian was surprised that Lu Xia wasn’t opposed to such things—that she was even willing. This astonished him.
After all, any other female in her position would have seen it as a form of exploitation.
"Xiaxia has her own principles. You don’t need to overthink it," Graces couldn’t help but explain when he saw the incredulous look on Smelian’s face.
Smelian looked at him and couldn’t help but wonder, ’Has Graces already been through everything I’m experiencing now? Is that why he’s so calm?’
He nodded. His foul mood from Lady Rafaelde’s video call began to lift.
He was discovering that Lu Xia had a genuine way of making people feel secure, both in her words and her actions.
*
The following evening, Duke Leslie and Prince Li Mang arrived at Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion.
The old butler had arranged for staff to greet them at the entrance well in advance.
As the butler led the two inside, Lu Xia greeted them with a smile. "I was just thinking you’d be arriving soon. Let me introduce you. This is Admiral Snop, Graces’s direct superior, and this is Graces’s adjutant. Today is just a small, private get-together, so please, everyone, make yourselves at home."
Admiral Snop was composed upon seeing Duke Leslie and Prince Li Mang again, but Graces’s adjutant was visibly stiff. These were, after all, two people far beyond his usual sphere of contact, and their sudden appearance left him at a loss for how to react.
Fortunately, neither Duke Leslie nor Prince Li Mang seemed particularly demanding or formal.
He couldn’t help but think, ’As expected of Female Masters who are friends with Duke Lu Xia. They’re all so approachable.’
In truth, Duke Leslie and Prince Li Mang were also surprised that Lu Xia would invite two males into her home. After all, in the current Empire, females were held in the highest esteem; regardless of a male’s family background or social standing, he was considered inferior to a female.
However, being familiar with Lu Xia’s style, they found themselves thinking that this was exactly the sort of thing she would do, and they accepted it readily.
If anyone else had done so, they might have wondered if it was meant as some kind of humiliation.
But since it was Lu Xia, that wasn’t the case. Admiral Snop and Graces’s adjutant were both people directly connected to Graces, and tonight’s private dinner was to celebrate Graces’s promotion to Major General. Everything revolved around him.
They were only qualified to participate because of their friendship with Lu Xia.
Only Lu Xia could treat males so well.
Seeing the undisguised smile on Duke Leslie’s face, Prince Li Mang once again couldn’t help but lament internally. ’My family doesn’t have any suitable males. Otherwise, I would definitely try to arrange a marriage with Duke Lu Xia.’
"Now that everyone’s here, let’s be seated. I wasn’t sure what everyone likes, so tonight’s meal is buffet-style. Please, help yourselves." Lu Xia led the group into the dining room, where Graces and Smelian stood up to greet the newcomers.
The guests, not expecting to find another of Lu Xia’s husbands in the dining room, couldn’t help but give Smelian a second glance.
Prince Li Mang was more direct. "Who is this? I don’t believe we’ve met."
"This is Smelian. He’s also one of mine." Lu Xia introduced him without hesitation. She didn’t mention his family, but those four words—"He’s also one of mine"—were enough to establish Smelian’s place in the household.
Duke Leslie quietly sized up Smelian. Seeing his white hair and golden eyes, she naturally guessed his connection to the Rafaelde family.
’I can’t believe Duke Lu Xia’s second husband is from the Rafaelde family.’
’The Rafaelde family may not have a title, but they are incredibly wealthy. Sending one of their own to Duke Lu Xia... their motive is simple and not hard to guess.’
After greeting everyone, Smelian said little more. He was well aware of his place tonight. This was a celebratory dinner for Graces; his presence alone was a testament to Duke Lu Xia’s kindness.
’So how could I possibly steal Graces’s spotlight and cause trouble for Lu Xia?’
As it was a private gathering, the atmosphere was pleasant. Admiral Snop and Graces’s adjutant were talking with Graces, while Lu Xia attended to Duke Leslie and Prince Li Mang. The mood was quite harmonious.
Just then, the old butler entered from outside. He subconsciously glanced at Smelian before leaning close to Lu Xia’s ear and whispering, "Madam, Lady Rafaelde has arrived."
Lu Xia froze for a second, then glanced at Smelian. He looked as composed as ever, but when his eyes met hers, they held a trace of confusion.
Lu Xia nodded. ’Smelian probably doesn’t know Lady Rafaelde is here,’ she realized. "Let her in."
