Dalia nodded.
"I need a child, and I don't plan on ever remarrying. There are no nobles suitable for me to wed. Those of lower standing wouldn't be a match for the power I'm going to acquire, while anyone too powerful would only try to control me and make me their vassal. Neither is a good fit. Remaining a widow is the most advantageous path for me."
"To escape my current predicament, I must have a legitimate heir. To inherit Viscount Ashton's Territory, the child must be a boy, and he needs the legitimacy of being the Ashton Clan's heir."
Fang Zhen understood immediately.
"So, you want to sleep with me, get pregnant with my child, and then claim he is Viscount Ashton's posthumous son? And after he's born, you'll raise him as the heir to the Ashton Territory?"
he asked.
"You really are quite clever. You're also tall and strong—a child of ours would inherit those fine qualities." Dalia's face was already flushed from the wine.
