Although Duke Lu Xia's reputation in the Empire wasn't exactly stellar, when you got down to it, which of the Empire's females really had a good name?
Their Rafaelde family was just a noble house with a rather special bloodline. They lived off their ancestors' legacy—rich, but without real power.
Their ability to attach themselves to Duke Lu Xia was entirely thanks to her public reputation. She was known to be "amorous," and the Rafaelde family happened to be famous for their beauty.
What was frustrating, however, was that they had assumed Smelian's beauty would be enough for him to be favored as one of Duke Lu Xia's husbands. The reality was, she didn't even remember his name.
The reason she had sent the old butler to bring Smelian back was that she knew something had happened to him, and as his Female Master, she ultimately owed them some form of accountability.
In Enor's opinion, Duke Lu Xia at least knew how to act with propriety.
