A TALE OF FIRE AND ICE

Unholiness

[ Neither the picture nor the content belongs to me. All the rights belong to the respective author. It is only used for entertainment purposes not offended anyone.]

***

"ADOPT the kids?"

Irene nodded at Lisa's question. "Yes, adopt the kids. But not as our children."

Lisa looked confused by what she said. "Not as our children?"

"In the empire, we have a stupid law that says the first born male child automatically becomes the heir of a family," she explained. "The second male child could only become the heir if the first born is dead, sick, or has been disowned by the father. The law applies even to adopted children and son-in-laws. That's why you became Father's heir when we got married."

He nodded his head as if he was absorbing the things she said. "So if we adopt Flint and Julian, Flint will become the heir of House Nystrom."

"That's right," she confirmed. "Of course, if Flint and Julian allow us to adopt them, we'll treat them as our own. But I want Winter to be our heir apparent not because he's our biological son. I just think that being the heir to House Nystrom would only become a shackle to Flint. I don't want to give him the responsibility that he didn't ask for in the first place. After all, we're going to adopt them to protect them." She placed her hands on our tummy. "On the other hand, becoming House Nystrom's heir will be Winter's protection. In my past life, we relinquished Winter's right to be our family's heir for him to become the crown prince. Of course, I manipulated you to agree with my plan. If I didn't cry day and night while begging you to let our son become the emperor's heir, you wouldn't have given in. That and the fact that in my first life, you had a solid relationship with His Majesty."

"Oh," he said in a saddened voice.

She quickly changed the topic because she didn't want Winter to remember their tragic married life in the past. "Anyway, if Winter becomes the heir of House Nystrom as soon as he was born, His Majesty couldn't easily touch our child. Even if he's the emperor, he still needs to abide by the laws that his predecessors made in the first place."

"I understand," he said. "So, how are we going to adopt Flint and Julian?"

"Can you adopt them as your brothers?"

He blinked several times before he nodded. "I can do that."

"Really, hon?"

He nodded. "Even if you asked me to adopt them as our children, I wouldn't mind," he said. "I was an orphan all my life, Irene. If my master didn't adopt me, I would have probably died early. His Majesty kind of did that as well when he took me under his wing. And now, in my adult life, your father technically adopted me. Even though I'm just a commoner, Father didn't mind naming me as his heir. And you didn't resent me for it." He touched her face. "Thanks to the people who adopted me, I have a good life now. That's why I don't mind doing the same for Flint and Julian."

Oh.

She just fell in love with him all over again.

"Lisa, you just made me want to have more children with you," Irene said, teasing Lisa who instantly turned bright red. She laughed at his cute reaction and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Hon, prepare yourself as soon as we get home– I'm not letting you leave our room until I'm sore and can't walk properly."

Well, that was always the case anyway.

"Okay, honey," Lisa said like a good husband that he was. But despite him looking and sounding docile outside, there was a beast in him– a beast that takes over in bed. The heat in his gaze promised her that they would definitely make up for lost time later. "Maybe the stamina I've built all these years is meant to be used to please you."