When she heard Slian say he wanted to speak with her alone, Lu Xia couldn’t help but worry that sothing was wrong with him.
And sothing that no one else could know, at that. It sounded serious.
Lu Xia nodded. "Wait for , then. I’ll go change my clothes."
"There’s no rush." A smile touched Slian’s eyes when he saw her agree. He was handso to begin with, but his smile made him look impossibly gentle.
It drew the glances of many people nearby.
One had to admit, the males of the Rafaelde Family were quite handso.
No wonder they were so popular among the many females of the Empire.
Unaware of what was on their minds, Lu Xia greeted Admiral Snop and gave so instructions to the researchers at the No.2 Institute. Only then did she go change and leave with Slian.
On the way, Lu Xia ssaged the old butler, telling him not to prepare dinner for her and Slian. She also sent a quick note to
Graces, letting him know that she and Slian would be ho late.
Graces’s reply was simple: "Got it. Be safe."
He didn’t ask what she and Slian were doing out alone, simply reminding her to be safe.
After reading the reply, Lu Xia turned off her terminal and asked the man beside her, "Where are we going for dinner?"
"I’ve already booked a table. You just have to follow ." Slian kept things slightly mysterious. Lu Xia nodded, happily accepting his proposal.
The restaurant Slian had booked was incredibly stylish. The atmosphere was first-class, and the decor was wonderful. A waiter led them to a private room where they could gaze out at the scenery below through enormous floor-to-ceiling windows. A soothing, gentle violin solo drifted through the air. The room offered privacy without feeling stuffy, making it the perfect spot for a date.
Lu Xia rarely had the opportunity to dine at a place like this, so she found the experience quite refreshing.
"Is this place hard to get a reservation for?" Although she’d never been here, she could tell from both the ambiance and the staff’s professionalism that it was a high-class establishnt. It clearly wasn’t the kind of place just anyone could walk into.
"It is. I made the reservation a month in advance. We only just got the confirmation today."
Slian’s answer surprised Lu Xia. She hadn’t expected him to have started preparing for today so long ago.
"So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" ’For him to be so ticulous, she wasn’t sure she could handle whatever it was.’
"We can talk after dinner. Don’t worry, it’s nothing too serious." Slian saw that the young female seed a bit tense, so he smiled reassuringly and changed the subject. "I hear their steak and seafood are both excellent, so I ordered a bit of both.
I hope you like it."
Since he clearly didn’t want to talk about it yet, Lu Xia let it go. ’He’ll have to tell eventually,’ she thought, ’so a little while longer won’t hurt.’
’The ambiance here is lovely, so the food can’t be too bad. I might as well relax and enjoy the al for now.’
As it turned out, Slian was right. The seafood and steak were both delicious and the ingredients were fresh. Lu Xia ate until she was thoroughly satisfied.
She had also enjoyed a glass of wine with her al, and now a delicate pink blush graced her fair cheeks, making her seem all the more vibrant.
Slian’s eyes had held a smile all evening. As he gazed at Lu Xia, his golden pupils were so full of tenderness they seed to overflow.
Setting down her glass, Lu Xia looked at Slian. "Now that dinner is over, can you tell ?"
Slian smiled and nodded, deciding not to drag it out any longer. ’Duke Lu Xia is rather impatient,’ he thought. ’It’s quite cute.’
Just as Lu Xia thought he was finally going to speak, Slian suddenly stood up, walked over to her side, and, under her puzzled gaze, knelt on one knee before her. "Duke, could you bestow your favor upon , as you have upon Graces?"
It had been a long ti, but the word "favor" had appeared once more.
This ti, however, Lu Xia understood its aning instantly.
The heat in her cheeks seed to intensify.
’I can’t believe it,’ she thought. ’After everything Slian prepared for tonight, *this* is what he wanted to talk about?’
"Slian, isn’t our current relationship good enough?" ’Isn’t it fine to just maintain the status quo,’ Lu Xia thought, ’where we can all get along peacefully?’
Slian looked at her, his gaze exceptionally firm. "It’s not. Xiaxia... may I call you that?"
Lu Xia nodded. It was just a na; she didn’t mind.
The smile returned to Slian’s eyes. "I know I don’t hold the sa place in your heart as Graces does, but I want the chance to truly stand by your side, to receive your favor. I don’t want to be just a bystander, watching from the sidelines. To be honest, I’m a little jealous of the preference you show Graces. I hope you’ll look my way, too. Please?"
As he spoke, Slian’s tone grew pleading.
While he spoke, Slian gently took Lu Xia’s hand and pressed it to his cheek.
His golden eyes gazed up at her, filled with entreaty. ’Only soone with a heart of stone could refuse him right now,’ Lu Xia thought.
"I’ve always thought you all deserve better options. You don’t have to be tied to . Your current status is a shackle, but I feel like that can be changed. Maybe after you beco a Gene Fusion Expert, even if we were to dissolve our arrangent..."
"Xiaxia, are you trying to end our relationship? D-don’t you want anymore?" Slian’s face was a mask of disbelief, his complexion instantly paling as if he’d never imagined Lu Xia would cast him aside.
"No, that’s not it. I was just speaking hypothetically. I didn’t say I’d actually do it. I just thought... perhaps you might want your freedom?"
"I don’t!" Slian’s reply was sharp and imdiate. He pressed his cheek fully into her palm. "I want to be by your side, just like Graces. I want your favor. I want it so badly. Please, don’t refuse . Even if you can’t say yes right now, could you at least think about it? Don’t be so quick to say no, alright? Just leave a little hope, Xiaxia. I will do whatever it takes to satisfy you."
Faced with such a desperate and pleading Slian, Lu Xia felt her resolve waver. She proactively cupped his face in her hands, eting his gaze earnestly.
"Are you really that jealous of how close Graces and I are?"
"It’s more envy than jealousy. I know he was the first to be by your side, so he deserves whatever affection you give him. I shouldn’t compare myself to him, but I can’t control my own heart. I want you to see , too. Even a little bit of warmth from you
would be better than being left out in the cold. That’s why I prepared all of this tonight—I was hoping I could make you happy, and that maybe... just maybe, you would agree?"
Slian made no attempt to hide his intentions, as if he ant to lay himself completely bare before Lu Xia today, showing her his truest, most vulnerable self.
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