Chapter Twelve: The Revelation.

Lying on the ground, seemingly drained of all strength, Cofi gazed up at the azure sky. Around him, the murmurs of discussion buzzed loudly, even when spoken in hushed tones. He didn’t need to listen closely to know exactly what they were saying—they were simply talking about his defeat.

Yes, he had lost.

He prided himself as a gene fusion warrior, yet he had been bested by Grace, whom he regarded as a defective product. Such an outcome was bound to spark gossip; even he would loudly question the incredulity of it all.

He imagined Grace must be elated—after all, Grace had beaten him, a gene fusion elite. That was certainly something to boast about and praise.

Cofi felt his world darken, anticipating endless ridicule.

Yet Grace paid him no mind. Instead, after his victory, he approached Luxia and said calmly, “I won.”

His tone was even, and his expression natural, but inexplicably, Luxia sensed that beneath that calm exterior, he was seeking praise in the quietest way.

“Indeed, quite impressive,” Luxia replied. She then turned her head toward the still-collapsed Cofi and spoke aloud, “Sir, don’t forget the promise you made earlier.”

Her sudden interjection brought the surrounding chatter to an abrupt halt. After a brief pause, the crowd buzzed with renewed curiosity.

“What promise?”

“What are we missing here?”

As the crowd whispered and speculated, Colonel Cofi, who had been lying on the ground, slowly rose. Without turning around, his voice carried a profound sorrow as he declared, “Though I lost, I will not break my word, nor betray the promise.”

Then, before everyone, he took a deep breath and repeated solemnly, “I am a fool, I am a fool, I am a fool...”

The onlookers fell silent.

Grace glanced at the disturbance on the training ground, then quickly refocused on Luxia. “You came to see me today—is there something you need?”

Luxia, who had been watching the scene with interest, lifted her gaze to meet Grace’s. “I went to the hospital today, and I thought I’d drop by to see you.”

As she spoke, the old butler stood quietly nearby, pretending to be invisible, though his goat-like ears twitched sharply.

Grace quickly caught the implication in Luxia’s words. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Luxia looked at him meaningfully. “Not unwell, just some matters to confirm.”

“What kind of matters? May I know?” Grace felt a strange nervousness—a sensation he hadn’t experienced even when facing Cofi in combat.

Yet now, standing before Luxia, he was unexpectedly tense.

Luxia seemed unaffected by his emotional shift and instead turned her attention back to the shouting Cofi. Then she posed an unexpected question: “Do you like children?”

The suddenness of the question caught Grace off guard. He had considered many possibilities but never expected such a query.

“I don’t dislike them,” he answered honestly. In truth, he had never dwelled on the matter. In the entire empire, childbirth was a complex issue. Not only was reproduction difficult among gene fusion elites, but as a so-called defective product, it was impossible for him to have offspring. So, he never pondered whether he liked children—what good would it do? His fate was sealed; he would never have his own progeny.

He was bewildered. Why would Luxia ask this? Did the Duchess Luxia want a child?

The thought sent a shiver through Grace.

Sensing the man’s tension, Luxia’s lips curved into a faint smile. “I’m pregnant. The child is yours.”

Her voice was low but unmistakably clear to Grace.

At that moment, Grace’s pupils contracted sharply. His usually impassive face betrayed a shock he could not conceal.

Luxia, pleased with his reaction, smiled and continued, “The doctors have confirmed it—there’s no mistake.”

“I don’t doubt it. I just... I never imagined,” Grace lowered his gaze and murmured. He appeared flustered but forced himself to remain composed, though it was difficult. His mind kept echoing Luxia’s words: “I’m pregnant, and the child is yours.”

The child is his.

He was going to be a father?

How could this be?

“I came today just to tell you this. That’s all. You should get back to work—I’m leaving now.” Luxia, having enjoyed Grace’s expression enough, prepared to depart. She knew well that this news would take him a long time to digest.

Grace had yet to calm down when he heard her about to leave, but instinctively, he said, “I’ll see you out.”

“No need. You’re busy,” Luxia waved him off and left with the old butler.

Left alone, Grace’s emotions churned uncontrollably, stirred so deeply by the news that his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Others, seeing Luxia leave, couldn’t contain their curiosity and gathered around Grace.

“I really underestimated you, Grace. You actually defeated Cofi. Now Cofi will have to keep quiet.”

“Colonel Grace, your mistress has left. Was there something she wanted to discuss with you?”

As the crowd’s questions mounted, Grace brushed them aside and hurried away, needing a place to collect himself.

Watching him depart, the onlookers exchanged puzzled glances.

“What’s going on? Why does it seem like Grace’s victory over Cofi has made him unhappy?”

“I saw his eyes redden just now. Could it be that Duchess Luxia isn’t pleased with the outcome?”

“No way. If she wasn’t happy, why would she defend Colonel Grace earlier?”

“Hmph, women are inscrutable. Who can fathom what they truly think? I say Grace has had a hard time enough—let him be. Don’t bother him.”

Hearing this, several people were momentarily speechless. Hasn’t Grace had it tough enough? The Duchess herself had come to see him and defended him in front of everyone. If anyone was pitiful now, it was still the one shouting, “I am a fool”—Colonel Cofi.

Putting themselves in Cofi’s shoes, they knew that once he left the First Military District, he’d want to buy a ticket off this star immediately.

Meanwhile, Grace no longer paid any attention to Cofi. His mind was consumed by Luxia’s pregnancy. Returning to his office, he felt his heart begin to steady, though the secret Luxia revealed weighed heavily on him.

If what the Duchess said was true, then Luxia was the first female in the empire in centuries to conceive naturally.