Ian had never once thought about having an heir. He liked children, but he wasn’t a man obsessed with having offspring, and being immersed in his newlywed life with Laura, his mind hadn’t yet reached that far.

But when the thought crossed his mind, it didn’t seem bad at all. A child born from Laura’s body, theirs alone. A child who resembled both Laura and himself equally. A child who would chirp like a chick, calling him father.

Something to bind us even more tightly…

At that moment, a flash of lightning struck Ian’s mind.

Yes, that was it. A child was, by nature, a being that bound a wife and husband more firmly together. Many stayed together for the sake of their children even when they grew to dislike each other, and even when hope faded from a marriage, many couples lived on, holding hope in their child, didn’t they?

It shouldn’t come to that, but if, by some chance, Laura ever wanted to leave him, a child would hold her back. As the father of her child, he would be an inseparable presence in her life.

The possibility of Laura leaving and shattering his happiness would be reduced by that much.

My angel will live in Whitefield forever. With the child born between us…

“What are you thinking about with such a sly smile?”

Realizing he was smiling, Ian quickly wiped the expression from his face.

“Nothing.”

“Really? I thought you were having some dark thought like, ‘If we have a child, I won’t have to worry about Laura running away.’ By the way, Ian, have you ever thought about seeing a physician?”

“For a seed pouch checkup?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll say it again, my body is perfectly fine. Besides, a checkup would only make sense if both of us went, and I don’t want to trouble Laura with something like this.”

“…True, conception issues can make a woman very sensitive.”

“Sister, let me make this clear. If, for some reason, we don’t have a child, it’s entirely my issue. Don’t pester Laura about it the way you do me.”

Mrs. Fairfax let out a hollow laugh.

“Do you think I’d dare be rude to the mistress of Whitefield? Especially to the woman who saved you from possibly dying a bachelor?”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Ian thought for a moment before pulling a silver cigar case from his jacket pocket. It was his treasure, given to him by his father when he was fifteen. He opened the lid and gazed at the brown paper-wrapped cigars neatly lined inside.

“What are you doing?”

“Saying goodbye to an old friend.”

Mrs. Fairfax’s face brightened. Ian looked at the case for a moment before handing it to his sister.

“Keep this for me until we have a child.”

“Really?”

The next day, inside a carriage, Laura, who had been resting her head on her husband’s shoulder while fiddling with the watch chain on his vest, looked up at Ian.

“You’re really quitting smoking?”

“Yes.”

Her husband, holding her waist tightly as if binding her, was casually looking down at his neatly trimmed nails as if it were no big deal.

Laura felt a slight unease.

“Is something wrong with your health?”

“Not at all. It’s just a useless habit, so I’m giving it up.”

Laura still felt puzzled. To Ian, smoking was as natural as breathing. He restrained himself in her presence, but whenever he stood by a window or went for a walk outside, he always had a cigar in his mouth. If he ever forgot his cigar case, he’d visibly grow anxious. And now, such a man was deciding to quit cold turkey?

“I never thought I’d see the day you’d quit smoking.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It’s a habit tied to memories of your late father. When a habit is addictive and meaningful, it’s even harder to quit.”

He noticed his wife was curious about why he’d decided to quit. After a moment of thought, Ian spoke.

“Yesterday, my sister said that if I kept up this filthy habit, I’d die before I’m fifty. She said if I died first, she’d personally find a gentleman for you to remarry. You’ll easily live to a hundred, so she couldn’t let you spend half a century as a widow.”

Laura burst out laughing.

“That woke me up. I promised to share my fate with you, and I can’t break that promise over a mere habit.”

Laura was somewhat convinced. Of course, the story he told was likely a jest shared between siblings. Mrs. Fairfax and her husband always exchanged playful banter. Usually, Mrs. Fairfax teased, and Ian would flare up, make a fuss, and then sulk, unable to win.

That was how the siblings shared affection and strengthened their bond.

He must have sensed the concern hidden in his sister’s scolding. He always grumbles, but he loves her dearly. He couldn’t bear to let his ailing sister worry about him.

Finding a convincing reason eased her mind. And soon, happiness followed. Until now, she had often fretted over her husband’s harmful habit.

He had no habits like drinking or overeating. His life was disciplined, and he regularly exercised, like horseback riding. But as if to justify maintaining healthy habits, he smoked cigars—a lot, and often.

Darling, how about cutting back on smoking?

Those words had always been stuck in Laura’s throat. But each time, she swallowed them. Instead, she made sure he didn’t forget his cigar case when going out, placed an ashtray nearby when he lit a cigar, and left him to smoke in peace.

She prayed that some trigger would lead him to quit on his own.

And now, out of the blue, Laura’s prayer had been answered.

Her husband, who had made such a commendable decision, felt dearer to her than ever. Love for him swelled in her heart. Laura’s love was usually calm and quiet, but at times, it could become impulsive and intense. That was the nature of love.

Suddenly, Laura pulled his face close and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Startled, Ian looked at his wife. Laura’s eyes sparkled, her face brimming with joy.

“Thank you, truly, thank you.”

He blinked. “What are you thanking me for?”

“For easing my worries.”

“…was my smoking a worry for you?”

Laura nodded faintly. He looked quite surprised.

“I thought you had no complaints. You always handed me my cigar case.”

“How could I not have complaints? It was wearing you down.”

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

Laura looked down and began stroking her own hands. “It seemed like every time you smoked, you were remembering my father. The man who raised you into a fine man and left you beautiful Whitefield. You’re not unaware of the dangers of smoking, so I decided to wait for you to stop on your own.”

“Even so, you should voice what’s in your heart. I’ve been causing you grief without even knowing.”

“I didn’t want to interfere with your happiness. Even if my heart sometimes felt shadowed, I didn’t want to take away the joy of reliving memories with someone you love.”

He pulled his hand away to hold both of hers. His large hand enveloped her small ones as if swallowing them.

“Laura, look at me.”

She raised her head and met his eyes.

“I’ve given you all rights over me. My wealth, my time, even my life. Everything I am is yours. Have you forgotten?”

Laura shook her head.

“You have the right to tell me to stop a habit that feels pointless. I’m your man, belonging to you. If you’d just said to quit smoking, I’d have thrown every cigar in the house into the fireplace.”

Laura smiled. Yes, Ian would have done exactly that. She believed in his love.

But.

“That’s not my role.”

“Didn’t you say you were worried about my health?”

“That’s my emotion to bear. My duty as a wife is to respect your choices and help you walk your path.”

Laura gave a warm smile.

“My greatest goal in life is to make you happy. I strive every day to be a good wife, to let you enjoy freedom instead of constraint. In the face of your happiness, my worries are trivial.”

Ian’s gaze grew dreamy as he looked at Laura.

“Ian, don’t praise me as some saintly figure. What I want to give you, you’ve already given me in abundance. You always give me freedom and respect my wishes. You love me overwhelmingly yet ask for nothing in return. The love you give far surpasses anything I could offer.”

“Don’t say that. You’re the greatest fortune a man could have.”

Laura’s cheeks flushed slightly. He murmured softly.

“Sometimes I feel like I’ll die because of you. I can’t breathe from happiness. My heart feels like it’ll burst from excitement. How do you control a person like this without lifting a finger? Tell me your secret. I want to do the same to you, make you worship me the way I worship you.”

“…I don’t know anything like that.”

Laura’s cheeks grew redder. He laughed at her blush but soon turned serious.

“I’m going to kiss you.”

At her husband’s warning, Laura gently closed her eyes. His lips met hers, then deepened, merging passionately.

As Ian’s hand supported her head, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Kissing Ian, she could feel the searing heat of his love. A passion like coals in a fireplace. A love so intense it felt like it could burn her, consume her in flames.

No wife could ever feel such fierce love from her husband.