Chapter Twenty-Two: Recovery.

Upon returning from the hospital, although the pain in Lu Xia’s abdomen had subsided, the sense of weariness remained. It was a deep, pervasive fatigue that no amount of rest could alleviate, leaving her constantly listless.

Grace escorted her to her room and arranged the pillows behind her back. "Rest for a while. I will bring your dinner up when it is ready."

Lu Xia nodded. "I am fine; there is no need to worry."

Despite her words, her complexion was poor—excessively pale, with even her naturally rosy lips drained of color. Yet, even in this state, the little female showed no signs of fragility. It was a quality that made one’s heart ache inexplicably. Grace had seen many females of all kinds, but none as sensible as Lu Xia—so sensible that it was heart-wrenching. He wished she would show her vulnerable side, or even be a bit willful; he could bear being scolded or struck, so long as she did not have to shoulder all the pain alone.

Noticing Grace’s silence, Lu Xia looked up with a hint of confusion. "What is it? Is there something else?"

Grace suppressed the heartache in his eyes and said softly, "Regarding what Dr. Eugene suggested—shall we do it tonight? I will be very gentle; I won't hurt you or the child."

She had not expected him to discuss this under such circumstances. She had assumed he would remain silent until she herself requested it. But the mere thought of what they were discussing made Lu Xia feel awkward and embarrassed. She feigned composure and nodded. "All right."

Having received her answer, Grace did not linger. As he turned to leave, he reminded her once more, "Get some good rest."

Once he was gone, the large room fell silent. Lu Xia sat still for a moment before burying her face in the pillows. This was truly mortifying.

***

That night, after dinner and a stroll in the courtyard to aid digestion, they returned to the bedroom. Grace personally prepared her bathwater, but when he prepared to follow her in to assist, Lu Xia stopped him. "Grace, I can wash myself. You can wait out here. You don’t have to do everything for me."

Grace pursed his lips imperceptibly. He had thought that during their walk today, they had reached a silent understanding, but it seemed he had overthought it. "Very well. I will wait here. Call out if you need anything."

Lu Xia nodded without another word and entered the bathroom. Even though she knew they would be intimate later, she still found the idea of him helping her bathe difficult to accept.

Standing outside the bathroom door, listening to the splashing water within, Grace was not as calm as he appeared. He knew full well that although Lu Xia had accepted Dr. Eugene’s proposal, it was for the sake of the fetus, not because she had accepted him.

Realizing this left him feeling somewhat resentful, yet he knew that some things could not be rushed. For now, having the opportunity to be this close to Lu Xia was already a great privilege, especially given that there were many others like him.

Just as he was lost in thought, the bathroom door opened. The young female, having just bathed, had cheeks flushed pink by the steam, making her look even younger.

"Let me dry you," Grace said, taking the towel from her hands and carefully drying her hair.

The room fell into silence. Neither spoke, and the peaceful atmosphere was layered with a sense of ambiguity and awkwardness. When Grace set the towel aside, Lu Xia knew the time had come. She spoke with feigned naturalness, "Shall we begin?"

Grace replied, "Yes."

After that, neither moved, both seemingly waiting for the other to take the lead, which only deepened the awkwardness. In the end, Lu Xia decided that since the inevitable had to be faced, she might as well get it over with. She grabbed Grace’s clothes, pulled him down, and kissed his lips.

The man’s lips, though appearing firm, were surprisingly soft. Grace was startled by her sudden initiative but remained composed, bracing himself on either side of her as they fell back. The transition from her passive acceptance to his active response happened in an instant, and the man quickly took control. Lu Xia relaxed, letting herself go.

...

When it was over, Lu Xia couldn't help but think before falling asleep that Grace had likely not been fully satisfied. At the very least, compared to the first time, he had been much more restrained, taking care to consider her feelings throughout and constantly asking how she felt. At such moments, she really did not want to answer, as anything she said felt like praise. Finally, annoyed by his persistence, she couldn't help but bite his shoulder, which earned only a soft chuckle from him.

Watching Lu Xia fall into a deep sleep beside him, Grace noted that the pallor on her face had been replaced by a lingering, healthy flush, making her look much better than she had during the day. Tentatively, he pulled the little female into his arms, sighed in his heart, and finally closed his eyes to sleep.

***

The next morning, when Lu Xia awoke, Grace was already gone. She sat up and stretched, feeling as though the fatigue of the past few days had vanished along with the events of the previous night. She could not deny that her body felt remarkably light. Who would have guessed that her weariness was entirely due to unfulfilled desires? It was simply too embarrassing to admit!

After a simple wash, she went downstairs. The old butler smiled as he greeted her. "You look much better than yesterday."

"I have recovered quite well. Where is Grace?" Not seeing him in the dining room, Lu Xia couldn't help but ask.

"He said there was business at the military department and left early. However, before he left, he prepared breakfast for you. I shall bring it up immediately."

She had not expected that even with pressing matters to attend to, he would still remember to prepare breakfast. It would be a lie to say she was not moved.

When the breakfast was served, Lu Xia spoke to the old butler while eating. "You may arrange a meeting with the prospective brand ambassadors today. Ask when they are available; if we finalize it, we can begin filming." The launch of the beauty balm was not far off.

"I will contact them at once. Are you still planning to go to the research institute later today?"

"Yes. The progress on the hair-growth serum is good; the results should be ready in the next couple of days."

The old butler looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Seeing this, Lu Xia said, "Speak your mind. Why are you stammering?"

"You have only just recovered, shouldn't you rest a bit more?" The old butler realized only now that Duchess Lu Xia was a workaholic. To have had a health scare yesterday and return to work today—wasn't that just a bit too reckless?

Knowing the old butler meant well, Lu Xia smiled. "I am only going to check on things. Sitting at home is just as tiring. Don't worry, I am truly much better."