"You'll do it even if you can't!" The old master was stubborn and stern, grabbing Landon Hawthorne's shoulders. "Aria Sterling is your legitimate wife. It's only natural for you to sleep with her."
"Dad..."
"I'm doing this for your own good!" the old master interrupted Landon Hawthorne's rebuttal. "I had someone check your fortune before. You were born on the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month, the day The Wraithgate opens. You have no luck with women, but that doesn't mean you can't have a child to carry on the family line, right?"
"Listen to me. Your situation is what worries me the most. You can't seriously intend to die alone without an heir!"
"I spent all this money on this marriage proposal hoping to secure you an heir. It doesn't matter if you don't like Aria Sterling. You can even kick her out later. As long as she gets pregnant with your child and gives birth safely, you can call all the shots afterward."
"I promised the Jennings family. If Aria Sterling gets pregnant with your child, I'll give them a billion. If she safely gives birth to your child, I'll give them another billion. You'd better not let me down!"
When Landon Hawthorne heard this, he felt like he was about to shatter. "Dad, what do you take me for? A breeding tool? Is having an heir that important?"
"Of course it's important! If it weren't for securing you an heir, would I have needed to pray in so many temples and spend so much money? Even if you don't think about yourself, think about your mother! Wouldn't her spirit in heaven be heartbroken and saddened to see you like this? If you don't even have a child, your branch of the family will have no one to carry on the line. How could your mother rest in peace?"
Hearing the old master's impassioned speech, Landon Hawthorne said, "Dad, that's just superstition. Don't believe in it. This whole legacy thing..."
"I can't be bothered to listen to you. Anyway, I'm laying it out for you: within a week, you must sleep with Aria Sterling. The sooner she gets pregnant, the better. Once she's pregnant, I'll move her elsewhere to be cared for during the pregnancy. I'll arrange everything. Your only job is to get Aria Sterling pregnant!"
Landon Hawthorne, "..."
As Landon Hawthorne came downstairs, he saw his older brother, Clay Hawthorne, talking to Aria Sterling, who was nodding.
The old master asked Clay Hawthorne, "Is the chat finished?"
"Dad, it's all settled. Aria Sterling has no objections," Clay Hawthorne nodded.
The old master looked at Aria Sterling again, his expression full of kindness. "Aria Sterling, rest assured. As long as you give Landon Hawthorne a child, boy or girl, the Hawthorne family will not treat you unfairly."
"I'll do my best." Aria Sterling nodded, as docile as a kitten.
Then, the old master and Clay Hawthorne left.
As soon as they were gone, Landon Hawthorne stormed up to Aria Sterling. "Listen here. I agreed to let my dad keep you here, but stay away from me!"
Aria Sterling lowered her gaze, a shadow falling over her eyes. Her voice was gentle as she said, "Your brother told me I'm to have a child with you, to continue your line."
"Don't even think about it!" Landon Hawthorne refused flatly.
He looked Aria Sterling up and down. 'This is a woman who would do anything for money.'
He was suddenly disgusted. "I don't need a child, and don't you dare dream of getting pregnant with my child."
"Are you sure you don't need one?" Aria Sterling looked up at Landon Hawthorne, her deep eyes like a vast ocean.
'Of course, she wasn't just going to give herself away like that. She just needed to figure out what kind of Fiend was hiding within Landon Hawthorne.'
'It seemed she was starting to find some of the roots of the problem now.'
"I don't need one!" Landon Hawthorne said with absolute certainty, losing his appetite for breakfast.
He turned to leave, but Aria Sterling grabbed the corner of his shirt.
Landon Hawthorne was furious and roared, "Let go!"
Aria Sterling spoke gently, "Landon Hawthorne, let's negotiate. I can still be useful to you. I can—"
"Nothing to negotiate! I don't need a child, you're useless to me! Let go of me and don't touch me! I'm allergic to women!" Landon Hawthorne roared, rudely yanking his shirt back.
His gaze was ice-cold as he stared at Aria Sterling. "If you're not afraid to die, then stay. But don't you dare disgust me!"
After that warning, Landon Hawthorne rushed out the door without a second glance.
'In his eyes, a little girl like Aria Sterling wouldn't last more than a few days. She'd definitely be scared off.'
But just in case, he made a call to his assistant. "Set something up to scare away a woman who's courting death. Double your bonus if you succeed!"
After Landon Hawthorne left, Aria Sterling finished breakfast alone and was watching TV in the living room when she saw servants carrying a large chest out from the backyard.
The chest was very heavy. As they reached the middle of the living room, the ropes suddenly snapped. The chest crashed to the floor and the lid came loose.
A blackened hand reached out from inside the chest before one of the movers frantically stuffed it back in...
Uncle Carter roared, "What are you standing there for? Get it out of here, now!"
After the servants had carried the chest away, Uncle Carter approached Aria Sterling. "Madam, just now..."
"I didn't see a thing just now." Aria Sterling's tone was even, showing no surprise or panic. Her expression unchanged, she went back to watching TV.
'She could tell the difference between a corpse and a living person at a glance.'
'Landon Hawthorne was actually trying to scare her with such a childish trick. How pathetic.'
'Back when she was steeling her nerves by digging up graves, Landon Hawthorne was probably still playing in the mud.'
"Well, Madam, please continue watching TV. I have other matters to attend to. If you need anything, you can just tell the staff." After speaking, Uncle Carter turned and walked away, calling over a servant. "Go hire a few more people. Offer a thirty percent commission on top of the usual rate."
Aria Sterling naturally heard this, but her expression remained unchanged.
'This confirmed her suspicions from last night. The Fiend frequently devoured the life essence of the living, but it couldn't stray too far from its host. Therefore, the servants in the mansion were the perfect targets.'
'That's why they were constantly hiring new staff here.'
Seeing Aria Sterling's composure, Uncle Carter found it very strange.
'This Aria Sterling, who had legally married Mr. Landon, was very different from the women who had been engaged to him before.'
'She didn't seem scared at all.'
After finishing his tasks, Uncle Carter returned to Aria Sterling's side. "Madam, you haven't had a chance to familiarize yourself with the residence yet. Shall I give you a tour?"
"Yes, thank you for the trouble, Uncle Carter." Aria Sterling didn't refuse.
Just as they entered the backyard, Uncle Carter received a call and had to attend to something else. He called over a servant named Wayne to show Aria Sterling around.
Coincidentally, Wayne was the very servant Aria Sterling had saved the previous night.
When they were alone, Wayne spoke up gratefully, "Madam, thank you so much for last night. If it weren't for you, I..."
"You're welcome. There's no need to mention it again."
In an open area in the backyard, someone was training the newly arrived servants. Aria Sterling stopped to watch.
Wayne, who was accompanying her, explained, "These are the new hires. They have to go through training before they can start working, so they can better serve Mr. Landon and you, Madam."
"How long have you been here?"
"Almost two months," Wayne replied.
After hearing this, Aria Sterling asked again, "Are they always hiring here?"
"Yes." Wayne's voice hitched.
Because people often died here, they were also often hiring.
But Aria Sterling was puzzled. "People die mysteriously here every day, yet you still dare to come. Aren't you afraid?"