Her Majesty the Queen kept Lu Xiao in the Royal Palace for some pastries before letting her go. She also took the opportunity to ask her a few things about Ares.

Lu Xiao didn’t refuse and chose a few select details to share with Her Majesty the Queen.

She knew full well that Her Majesty the Queen wanted to learn about Ares through her, and she also knew that Ares wouldn’t object to it.

As she was leaving the Royal Palace, ready to head straight home, she was surprised to find that the female in the pink dress hadn’t left. In fact, she was waiting for her outside the palace gates.

Lu Xiao was a little taken aback to see her.

The woman’s previous attitude toward Lu Xiao was gone, replaced by an enthusiastic warmth as she approached. "Earl Lu Xiao, I’ve heard so much about you. I can’t believe we’re only just meeting today. You can call me Dina. I hold the title of Earl as well, though it can’t compare to the prestige of a Merit Earl like yourself."

Lu Xiao looked at Dina, who was smiling and clearly trying to curry favor. "If you have something on your mind, you can just say it."

At this, Dina knew there was no point in trying to feign a friendship they didn’t have.

"In that case, I’ll be direct," Dina said, her eyes darting around as if afraid of being overheard. "Please, Earl Lu Xiao, teach me how to change. To be frank, my main husband has been considering a divorce recently. I act like I’m not scared, but deep down, I am. After all, it would be terribly disgraceful if word got out." She was clearly a female who cared immensely about her reputation.

In truth, there were many females in the Empire who were as concerned with appearances as she was, so Lu Xiao wasn’t surprised by her words.

"If you’re only worried about losing face and don’t understand the meaning of a partnership, then even if I told you what to do, any change would be temporary, not permanent." Lu Xiao hit the nail right on the head.

Dina was taken aback but didn’t give up. "I genuinely do want to change. I just don’t have any experience. If I’m missing something, please, tell me."

"Then let me ask you this," Lu Xiao began, firing off a series of questions that left Dina completely stunned. "Do you like your partner? Are you happy with him? If he were to leave, aside from the financial aspect, is there anything else you’d be reluctant to lose? And what does marriage even mean to you?"

She had never seriously considered a single one of them.

’What does marriage mean to me? What else could it be? Of course it’s about what benefits me!’

’I get to own another person’s assets without lifting a finger, and he has to obey my every command unconditionally.’

’That’s why I got married!’

’As for whether I like my partners, I certainly didn’t dislike them when I chose them, but over time... well, that’s just how it goes. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have one, two, three, four, five, six males at home.’

’If he left, besides the money... well, I’d be short one obedient person to do chores. Other than that, I guess there’s nothing else!’

’Am I happy with them? Sometimes I am, sometimes I’m not. What does that even matter?’

Seeing the conflicted look on Dina’s face, Lu Xiao simply turned and walked toward her hover car.

Dina saw her leaving and hurried to catch up. "Earl Lu Xiao, you’re leaving already? But I haven’t figured out the answers yet." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Lu Xiao looked up at her. "Would you like to come over to my place?"

Stunned by the sudden invitation, Dina hesitated for a moment before asking, "May I?"

Lu Xiao nodded. "You can let your household know. I’ll have you stay for dinner."

"Would that be too much of an imposition?"

"You’re free to decline."

"No, I’ll go!" Dina declared, immediately climbing into Lu Xiao’s hover car. "You must have a reason for inviting me. Besides, I know you and your main husband have a wonderful relationship. I’d like to see how you two interact. Perhaps I can learn something from you."

’That was precisely Lu Xiao’s intention. She believed the reason females in the Empire couldn’t grasp these concepts was that most of them had never seen what a truly loving couple looked like.’

’When you’ve lived in a certain environment for so long, and everyone around you is the same, it’s hard to break free from that ingrained way of thinking—to step out of your comfort zone.’

Back at home, Dina followed Lu Xiao into the Earl’s Mansion.

"Wow, was this mansion assigned to you? Your courtyard feels so much bigger than mine. Is this the perk of being a Merit Earl?" Dina asked, looking around curiously.

Then she saw a tall, imposing male standing at the door. She didn’t need to ask to know who he was: Lu Xiao’s main husband, Vice Admiral Ares.

Before Dina could say a word, Lu Xiao had already walked up and given him a natural, easy hug. "How are you back so early today?"

"Mhm, with the wedding coming up, everyone at work has been very considerate," Ares said with a smile. He then looked up at the stunned Dina. "A guest?"

"Yes, this is Earl Dina. She’s staying for dinner," Lu Xiao said, then turned back to Dina. "My husband, Ares."

When Dina heard those two words—"my husband"—her heart suddenly tightened.

Whether it was the way Lu Xiao had just thrown herself into Ares’s arms, or the casual, natural tone she used to introduce him, it was all completely unexpected to Dina.

She had never acted that way, nor had any of the other high-status females she knew.

They all acted high and mighty, terrified that the slightest slip-up would cause these males to look down on them.

But Lu Xiao seemed completely unconcerned about any of that.

The intimacy between her and Ares was plain to see.

"Come on, let’s go inside." Seeing Dina still in a daze, Lu Xiao didn’t say anything more and simply pulled Ares into the house.

Ares naturally sensed it too—Lu Xiao wasn’t particularly warm toward this slightly older female named Dina. He didn’t press for details, simply saying, "It’ll be a little while until dinner. If you’re hungry..."

"I’m not hungry. I just came from the Royal Palace. Her Majesty the Queen had me stay for some pastries."

Ares raised an eyebrow upon hearing that.

The moment Lu Xiao saw his expression, she knew what he was thinking. She smiled. "It was about the potions. She also asked about you, so I told her a few things."

Ares nodded. "I’ll go get dinner started. You two can relax for a bit."

"I’ll go with you," Lu Xiao said, taking Ares’s arm. Then to her guest, "Please, Earl Dina, don’t stand on ceremony. Make yourself at home." With that, she and Ares headed to the kitchen together.

From the moment she’d arrived, Dina felt as if she’d been hit by one shock after another.

Whether it was Lu Xiao and Ares chatting so casually or now heading to the kitchen to cook together, these were all things Dina could never imagine herself doing.

’So this is how Lu Xiao and her main husband interact on a daily basis.’

Beyond her shock, deep down, she felt a flicker of envy she was reluctant to admit.

’So, this was another way to be with a partner. Even without sweet nothings or overly intimate displays, every word and every action between them radiated love.’

In that moment, Dina felt like she was beginning to understand.