Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Trust.
Upon hearing what Lu Xia said to the butler, everyone looked over, their eyes filled with suspicion.
Duke Leslie couldn’t resist asking, "Are more guests arriving?"
Lu Xia gave a slight nod and answered without any concealment, "It’s Lady Rafaelde."
She didn’t specify whether Lady Rafaelde was an invited guest or had arrived unannounced. As she spoke, she was already rising to her feet with a smile and called out, "Smelian, come with me."
Smelian had already risen to his feet as Lu Xia answered Duke Leslie. His expression was grim, his eyes betraying his worry. He hadn’t expected Lady Rafaelde to show up uninvited.
He was also worried that Lu Xia might think he had conspired with Lady Rafaelde on this matter.
He wanted to explain.
But Lu Xia simply gave his arm a gentle, reassuring pat. She didn’t say a word, yet Smelian understood immediately: Lu Xia didn’t misunderstand him.
She knew this had nothing to do with him.
In that instant, his heart was filled with Lu Xia’s unconditional trust, and Smelian was deeply moved.
He could even feel his eyes starting to well up.
This complete, unconditional trust gave him a profound sense of security.
He couldn’t help but look at Lu Xia. There was so much he wanted to say, but now was not the time.
An attendant led Lady Rafaelde in. The moment she saw Duke Lu Xia and Smelian coming out to greet her, a smile involuntarily spread across her face.
’Her heart, which had been in her throat, quietly settled. It seems Duke Lu Xia values Smelian after all.’
Of course, she wasn’t concerned with Smelian’s standing for his own sake; rather, she was using Lu Xia’s attitude toward him to gauge the Duke’s disposition toward the Rafaelde family.
"Greetings, Duke Lu Xia. I must apologize for the intrusion today. It has been so long since I’ve seen Smelian, and I missed him dearly, so I came unannounced." After speaking, Lady Rafaelde smiled at Smelian as if he were her most cherished child.
Lu Xia raised an eyebrow slightly. ’I didn’t realize Lady Rafaelde was such an actress. If I didn’t know exactly what Smelian’s existence meant to the Rafaelde family, I might have actually been moved by this display of deep mother-son affection.’
"I’ve been rather busy myself lately. I was planning to accompany Smelian to pay you a visit once things settled down. I didn’t expect you to come in person, but the timing is perfect. We’re having a small get-together tonight. Since you’re here, please come in and have some tea."
Lady Rafaelde was taken aback to suddenly hear Lu Xia mention a gathering. She instinctively glanced at Smelian, hoping he could give her some sign, but his attention wasn’t on her at all. He was gazing at Lu Xia, his eyes full of tenderness.
Her heart tightened at the sight. She could clearly sense that Smelian’s attitude toward Duke Lu Xia was completely different from what it had been at first.
As a woman of experience, she knew exactly what that kind of gaze meant.
She could only compose herself and say, affecting a casual tone, "I’m so sorry, I had no idea you were hosting a gathering tonight."
"It’s no matter. It’s just a small gathering of friends. Please don’t be concerned." Lu Xia said with a pleasant smile as she led Lady Rafaelde into the dining room.
The moment she saw Duke Leslie and Prince Li Mang, a look of surprise and trepidation involuntarily flashed in Lady Rafaelde’s eyes.
She had never imagined that the "small gathering of friends" Duke Lu Xia mentioned would include Prince Li Mang.
She wasn’t nearly as surprised to see Duke Leslie, since one of Duke Lu Xia’s other husbands hailed from Leslie Duke Mansion.
So it was perfectly normal for Duke Leslie to be present.
"This is Smelian’s mother, Lady Rafaelde. Over here are Prince Li Mang and Duke Leslie. And this is Admiral Snop and Graces’s adjutant. We’ve gathered today to celebrate Graces’s promotion to Major General," Lu Xia explained with a smile, smoothly making the introductions and clarifying the purpose of the party.
Lady Rafaelde was once again inwardly shocked to hear that the gathering was to celebrate Graces’s promotion to Major General.
’This was a reason she had never considered. After all, whatever achievements a male might attain were only to be expected by a female. Since it was expected, what was the need for celebration?’
’Besides, she had only recently heard that Leslie Duke Mansion had already hosted a large celebratory banquet for Graces after he became a Gene Fusion Expert.’
’For a time, this male, Graces, was enjoying a moment of unparalleled glory.’
This prompted her to steal another glance at the man standing by Duke Lu Xia’s side.
Unlike Smelian’s delicate beauty, Graces possessed the natural, grim air of a soldier.
"I have long heard of Lady Rafaelde’s grace and poise. I never expected to have the chance to meet you today. It must be fate," Duke Leslie said, taking the initiative to break the tension and guiding Lady Rafaelde to a seat.
The atmosphere of the gathering seemed to become harmonious once more.
Smelian sat down again, his inner panic having completely subsided. He no longer worried that Lady Rafaelde would say something to ruin the gathering.
He knew very well that the moment his mother saw Duke Leslie and Prince Li Mang, her only thought would be to build connections. She would never say anything inappropriate at a time like this and risk offending the two distinguished figures before her.
For Lady Rafaelde, who prized her family’s interests above all, such an opportunity was exceedingly rare. She would absolutely not let it pass.
Soon enough, Lady Rafaelde struck up a conversation with Duke Leslie.
Graces glanced at Smelian, who had been silent the entire time. ’I know Lu Xia didn’t invite Lady Rafaelde to today’s gathering. There’s only one explanation for her presence: she came uninvited.’
’Regardless of whether Smelian was involved, as one of Lu Xia’s husbands, it’s his responsibility to manage his relationship with the Rafaelde family.’
’Not causing Lu Xia additional trouble should be the most basic duty for any of her husbands.’
The dinner party lasted until around 10 p.m. As Duke Leslie and Prince Li Mang were leaving, Lady Rafaelde finally had an opportunity to speak with Smelian alone.
"Who are you putting that face on for?" Despite being the uninvited guest, Lady Rafaelde seemed to feel she had done nothing wrong, and she belligerently questioned Smelian’s attitude.
"I hope you’ll inform me in advance next time. Don’t put me in such a passive position. Duke Lu Xia doesn’t mind because she is gracious, but you, Mother, should also observe basic courtesies. If you wish to maintain a good relationship with the Duke, please don’t make things difficult for me."
Duke Lu Xia’s attitude toward Smelian that day, while not overly warm, hadn’t been cold either. This showed Lady Rafaelde that Smelian was not entirely without status in Duke Lu Xia’s Mansion.
So when Smelian said this, for once, she didn’t become emotional. She simply said, "If you had explained these things to me earlier, I wouldn’t have just shown up like that."
’In short, she would never admit she was at fault.’
