Chapter Twenty-four: The Big Name.

Grace had been quite busy over the past few days. If not for a last-minute meeting scheduled for this morning, he certainly would have waited for Lu Xia to wake up and greeted her personally before leaving.

Upon arriving at the conference room, Admiral Snop had not yet appeared. A few people inside were whispering to one another: "Yesterday, my female master and I went to the Fertility Research Institute to submit an application for an offspring."

"Really? Your female master is actually willing to raise a child so soon? That’s good news. Doesn't that mean you’ll be a father soon?"

"Haha, not quite 'soon' yet, there's still a ways to go. My female master wants two daughters, but as you know, even with artificial reproduction, the probability of conceiving a female child isn't high. It’s a real headache."

"That is true. If it weren't, the birth rate for females wouldn't be so low. Still, for us, just having one child would be a blessing."

"That’s for sure." As the conversation reached this point, the voices trailed off. The two men glanced at Grace, who was sitting silently to their side. Remembering his status, they exchanged a look and chose not to continue the topic. After all, as a "defective" male and a mere consort, Grace was destined to never experience the title of father in this lifetime. They saw no need to rub salt in his wounds.

However, hearing their dialogue, Grace couldn't help but wonder if Lu Xia would prefer a daughter or a son. If this were any other female, Grace likely wouldn't have such doubts, as the Empire held females in the highest regard, and there were no females who didn't want a daughter. But when it came to Lu Xia, he wasn't so certain. If Lu Xia could accept someone as "defective" as him, why would she care about the gender of an offspring? He felt that to think such a thing of Lu Xia would be to underestimate the little female’s character.

"By the way, Keffi has been gone for several days now. I wonder where he went!"

"Indeed. I honestly didn't think the kid would actually quit like that. He’s quite courageous."

"You didn't see it—the look Admiral Snop gave him when he resigned! I thought for sure the Admiral would say something to keep him, but he just let him go without a word."

"I suppose he didn't expect it either. He was always so reckless, just looking for trouble. Grace, are you still in contact with Keffi?"

The final question was asked with a clear intent to stir up trouble. Grace lifted his gaze and gave the man a cold, indifferent look. "If you want to reach him, you can contact him yourself."

"Heh, I was just asking. I thought he would at least have said goodbye to you before leaving. To be honest, I was quite surprised you were able to beat him."

Grace offered no further response, merely staring at him with cold detachment. After a long moment, the man couldn't take it any longer and voluntarily shut his mouth. It was strange—Grace was clearly nothing more than a "defective" male, yet where did that overwhelming aura of his come from? Even he, a gene-integrated individual, felt immense pressure, though he was loath to admit it.

The inexplicably stifling atmosphere in the conference room was broken by the arrival of Admiral Snop.

*

The people at the research institute had seen Grace carrying Lu Xia away from Building One that day, so when Lu Xia arrived, they all came forward to inquire about her health.

"I am quite well, everyone, please do not worry."

"It’s good to hear you’re alright. Please don't overwork yourself and take care of your health." In their eyes, Duchess Lu Xia was truly dedicated. Females as passionate about building a career as she were rare in the Empire; at the very least, she was the only one they had ever seen.

Lu Xia smiled. "I know, thank you all for your concern. Now, please, everyone get back to work. I have an appointment today, so I won't keep you. If there is anything, you can find me later."

With that, Lu Xia took the old butler and headed to the conference room. A female with exquisite makeup was already seated inside: Ms. Manna. As a rising star in the entertainment industry, Ms. Manna currently held significant popularity and media attention. Though only twenty-three and of humble origins, she possessed a refined temperament; sitting there, she appeared quite elegant and dignified. Upon seeing Lu Xia, she looked her over with a blunt, direct gaze. She did not rise, merely lifting her chin slightly. "I didn't expect the owner of Building One to actually be a female."

Her agency had mentioned a bit about this when they sent her over, otherwise, she would have been none the wiser.

"Apologies for keeping you waiting, Ms. Manna," Lu Xia said, taking her seat as the old butler pulled out the chair.

"I haven't been waiting long," Manna said, picking up the coffee cup before her for a sip. "I have things to attend to later, so if you have something to say, please get on with it."

In truth, she felt that a contract like this could have easily been handled through her agency; having her come here in person was entirely redundant. Had the other party not been a female, she never would have agreed to it.

"Ms. Manna, how much do you know about our product?" Lu Xia did not take the disdain in the other woman's eyes to heart; after all, in this world, females were often arrogant, with very few truly intelligent ones among them.

"Your product? Isn't it just ordinary skincare? What else is there to know?" She had endorsed several such beauty products, and they were all much of a muchness. What could be so fresh that it required special understanding? It wasn't as if it were a major brand.

"So, you know nothing. Our 'Rejuvenation Cream' is primarily for scar removal and whitening. It has shown significant efficacy and has a broad target demographic. We invited Ms. Manna to endorse it primarily because we value your natural following, your youth, and your energy, which can help us reach a younger customer base..." Lu Xia stopped there, noticing that Manna was distracted, her mind clearly elsewhere. She tapped the table lightly to draw her attention. "Ms. Manna, are you listening?"

"Ah, what?" Suddenly called by name, Manna snapped back to reality, looking at Lu Xia with a confused expression, clearly having missed everything Lu Xia had just said.

The old butler standing beside Lu Xia frowned involuntarily. It seemed this fast-rising social media star lacked the maturity to stay focused.

Seeing this, Lu Xia leaned back in her chair. "It seems Ms. Manna is not very interested in endorsing for our Building One. We shall not force the issue. Thank you for making the trip today. Butler, see her out."

Upon hearing this, Manna’s face finally betrayed a hint of panic. "What do you mean? You dragged me all the way here, and now you’re just going to call it off?"

"Ms. Manna, we will contact your agency regarding any further matters. Now, let me see you out." The old butler bowed respectfully, gesturing toward the door with a clear implication. Lu Xia had already turned and walked toward the office next door, with no intention of offering Manna any further explanation. There were plenty of artists in the entertainment industry; she was certainly not lacking for this one.